State regulators approved an 8 percent increase in electric generation rates for Connecticut Light & Power residential customers who do not get their electricity from competing suppliers. The increase announced Friday boosts the average residential bill by $5.29 a month.

A spokesman says the Northeast Utilities subsidiary is passing along increased prices charged by suppliers.

Sen. Bob Duff, co-chairman of the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee, says rising natural gas prices are partly to blame. He advises consumers to be patient as state officials pursue strategies to push down costs.

CL&P has also asked regulators for permission to raise a separate rate by 5.9 percent to replace new equipment and improve reliable delivery of electricity. An average residential bill would rise by about $6.76 a month.

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